What is “opiate” addiction? To answer this question we have to look at opiates. Opiates, or opioids, are naturally occurring pain killers and are usually derived from the Asian poppy plant. But what is an opiate addiction? As mentioned, opiates are powerful drugs that give one a sense of euphoria or “high” if not taken for pain management. So, what is opiate addiction? Opiate addiction is the abuse of these powerful drugs for recreational use or even a physical dependence on the substance after being prescribed pain killers from a doctor.
So, to answer the question, what is opiate addiction, let’s first answer the question of addiction itself. Addiction is the constant, habitual performance of taking a substance, participating in a certain activity, or ritualistic behavior that has a calming effect on the individual. I know what you’re saying though, how can an addiction to skydiving having a calming effect, but the fact is, those who have an addiction suffer from extreme anxiety when not using or participating in their chosen drug or activity. So, even though skydiving is anything but calming, (actually these types of addicts are called adrenaline junkies) it produces a calming effect for the addicted person. The same goes for any other substance or activity.
What is opiate addiction? Opiate addiction is the full-on preoccupation with finding and using opioids. These opiates comprise drugs such as heroin, codeine, morphine, “Oxycontin, Dilaudid, methadone, and others”. As mentioned, a lot of people become addicted to these drugs after a hospital stay where they are given morphine around the clock for pain management. Physicians also prescribe “pain pills” for people recovering from surgery, after a car wreck, or other type of injury. They prescribe these because these drugs are very effective for controlling pain, however many individuals start taking these meds for other reasons than they were prescribed and this is where the problem is. “My back really isn’t hurting today, but I have a nasty headache. I bet these pain pills the doc gave me will work for this as well.”
What is an opiate addiction? Let’s go to the experts… “Opioid (opiate) dependence is a medical diagnosis characterized by an individual's inability to stop using opiates (morphine, heroin, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, etc.) even when objectively it is in his or her best interest to do so, and is a major component of opioid addiction”( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiate_addiction). Well there you have it. But, there are other alarming statistics that give us a glimpse into opioid addiction. Such as these from Healthcare Central… “About 9% of the population is believed to misuse opiates over the course of their lifetime, including illegal drugs like heroin and prescribed pain medications such as Oxycontin. These drugs can cause physical dependence. This means that a person relies on the drug to prevent symptoms of withdrawal. Over time, greater amounts of the drug become necessary to produce the same effect” (Healthcare Central, 2014).
Allrighty then, to answer the question, “What is opiate addiction” we have to break it down into components. First, what is an opiate and then what is an addiction? We defined an opiate as an alkaloid derived from the Asian poppy plant and a powerful pain reliever. An addiction is something that individuals construct for themselves to ease their anxiety. SO – What is an opiate addiction? An opiate addiction is something akin to habitually seeking out this opioid pain reliever in an effort to ease ones anxiety. But, I still like the definition of what is an opiate addiction as “dependence” as a medical diagnosis characterized by an individual's inability to stop using opiates”.
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